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Cherry & Plum Crumbles With Goat Cheese Ice Cream

July 24, 2010

You have no idea how good it feels to finally take time in this crazy schedule to come here and write a little, share a recipe and possibly a good laugh or two. Although now that I am here I am drawing a super "ugh" kind of a blank. Yes, even that brilliant paragraph I wrote in my head this morning in the shower. Pouf! Gone. I am seriously thinking of designing a waterproof notepad or carrying a waterproof in there.

Oh yes...it just came back to me: Bill's birthday is next week, the 27th to be exact, and I do need your help. I can't decide what to make him for his birthday dessert this year and I thought I would ask you for some suggestions. In order to make this a bit more fun for everyone, I thought about pairing it with a little giveaway. So here it is folks:

- Tell me what is the most raved about dessert you have made (please provide link to recipe or as many details as you wish) in the comment section of this post. No need to have a blog, just the main idea of the recipe. (No anonymous without a name will be approved).- On Monday night, I'll pick one I know my better half would love for his birthday, make it and post about it, (with full credits to you and the recipe of course). - But that's not all, the person whose dessert was picked will be sent a copy of "Artisan Breads - At Home With The Culinary Institute of America" (I'll ship worldwide)

Hope ya'll can hit me with some major sweetness! And anything goes: the man likes everything, ahaha!

And I am ok with losing my mind over this... it's the season after all and I admit I absolutely love it. Well, apart from not being able to cook and post as much, answer emails on time, and piling up clean laundry instead of folding it. Why am I telling you this? It all relates to these Cherry And Plum Crumbles and how I need a mini "brain check" before bedtime lately.

I was all set to make cherry and plum sorbet the other day when I realized I may not have picked up enough of each at the farmers' market and I was about to head out the door for more, B. shouted from the garage that his mom was stopping by with extras from her market trip "she thought you might like more plums and cherries". What did I hear instead? The tiny influx of rush and stress of my own mental notes but not a word he said.

I started thinking I should pick some flowers for his mom as a thank you. That I'd better not lolligag while at the store, get my stuff and jet. My mind drifted and wondered if I'd have time to churn that batch of ice cream before bedtime. I thought about the vet, the delivery guy, the dentist every one in between! It felt crammed up inside my head. Have no fear, I am not driving while under the influence of the voices. The car seems to be a free zone.

I got home right on time to invite my mother in law inside for a very cold glass of lemonade and a few cookies. We unloaded our bags together and busted out laughing right away. I was staring at enough cherries and plums to feed the whole neighborhood. I've always considered this kind of happening a joyous opportunity to poach extra fruit and freeze them for when I crave cherries in January, plums in November, or ripe and juicy pears in June.

Poaching fruit in a concoction of lemon juice, water and spices is something I learned from my mom and grandmother very early on. It used to generates suspicious looks from my husband when we were newlyweds and he'd come home to find me elbow deep skinning and pitting a box of bruised peaches for poaching and freezing. Why not can you might ask? I make jams regularly so I am running out of room already in the pantry and I go through the frozen fruit faster than the jams.

I had enough fruit this time around to make cherry and plum sorbets, poach and freeze some and make Cherry Plum Crumbles with the rest. That's a lot. Even if it's summer and it is bloody hot outside, I still went ahead and made crumbles. I needed to plan comforting treats for the busy day ahead. The mix of crunchy bits of dough and soft fruit all warm out of the oven topped with a generous scoop of ice cream is my idea of the ultimate comfort.

I am too ticklish to get a massage. I am too claustrophobic to enjoy a facial. Not girly enough to go for mani-pedis. So crumbles it is. Curled up on the couch, passed midnight, the pups next to me. Preferably with a side of summer rain but without is alright too.

Prepare the fruits:Preheat your oven to 350F.In a large mixing bowl, combine the fruits with the honey, lemon zest and juice and cornstarch. Toss with your hands to coat the fruits evenly. Divide between 4 to 6 ramequins and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil as the fruits are most likely to release their juice, causing a spill. Set them aside while your prepare the topping.

Prepare the crumble:In a medium bowl, toss together the sugar, millet flour and cardamom. Add the butter cut in small pieces and mix with your fingertips until you get a mixture that resembles coarse crumbs. Divide th topping evenly on top of the dishes. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.

In a large bowl whisk the sugar and egg yolks until pale. In a saucepan set on medium heat, bring the milk, cream and vanilla bean to a simmer, slowly pour a small amount on the egg yolks to temper. Pour the remaining over the yolks and sugar. Stir well then pour back in the saucepan and cook over medium low heat until the cream thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and whisk in the goat cheese until completely melted and incorporated.Cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until cold. Process in an ice cream maker according to your machine's manufacturer's instruction. Freeze until firm.

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comments:

You certainly made lots of goodies with all of your fruit! We too love poaching fruits and preserving them for later delight! I LOVE the sounds of this crumble and goat cheese ice cream is new to me but I know I would fall in love, Im already dying to make it!

I always seem to get asked to make my Chocolate Fudge Cake with Peanut Butter Mousse Frosting for birthdays, events and really any reason someone can come up with. http://maplencornbread.blogspot.com/2009/09/chocolate-fudge-cake-with-peanut-butter.html

Im sure whatever you make your son will be wonderful! and lovely giveaway!!

The recipes I hear the most praise for are my pineapple upside down cake (a great Southern classic that just screams birthday with the cherries in the middle of the cakes!) Or what about chocolate cream pie for two? Ok, that's my favorite so far.

I'm so intrigued by the goat cheese ice cream! Most recently, the most raved about item I've made is David Lebovitz's Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2007/04/salted_butter_c.html.

The raves were totally worth the little bit of fuss for a custard based ice cream. We've been rationing it bit by bit:)

Glad your spirits are up finally. I also celebrate birthday next week but a day earlier. So I would like to share an idea I am going to put to life myself. And borrow your goat cheese ice-cream idea.

This is a cold dessert and it can be called Russian panna cotta with the exception that you use sour cream instead of cream and, as you understand, there is no need to boil it. This dessert comes from my childhood by the way. I remember having it regularly in a "Snowflake" cafe after my mum took me from the children day care centre after work. It is creamy, rich and slightly tart and good for hot days. We call it krem-smetanka (krem = cream, smetanka = diminutive for 'sour cream'). I cannot give accurate amounts of ingredients because I am only trying to reproduce it myself some 25 years later. Yesterday I tried making a test batch and found out that 2 teaspoons of gelatine per one cup of dessert is way too much. It should be just barely set so for a 30% fat sour cream maybe you need only half teaspoon? I am going to repeat it with less gelatine and make it layered with chocolate in verrines or top with puréed fruit mousse - everything I learned from you. Alternatively, I think of making chocolate moulds and topping the krem-smetanka with fresh berries. There is room for imagination!

I can't wait to see what you will make for your husband. Happy birthday to your SPOC! ;)

Kate: that sounds delicious! I am afraid there is a slight misunderstanding: my spirits were always high just slammed with work which made me unable to come post which is usually my "me time". But nothing makes me as alive and well as being busy and working :)

Make a black forest cake!!! Maybe you can use all this fresh cherries to make a compote to go with the filling. Do a Mascarpone cream (whipped with some icing sugar and vanilla extract), and a chocolate praline mousse for the filling. The rich Mascarpone with a luscious crunchy chocolate praline sounds very indulgent to me.Also you can pour some chocolate ganache on the top layer and some fresh cherries...Well, my husbands birthday is on the 29th and that's what I'm planning to do for his birthday :)

Waterproof notepad?? That's exactly what I want 'cos I suffer with short tem memory and ideas fly off my head before they're even complete :-)I love Chocolate Sformato. I posted the recipe on my blog a while back here's the link to it.http://www.indiansimmer.com/2010/03/steal.htmlHope you guys enjoy the birthday.

Hi Helene,I'm so happy to see you posting, and I'm even happier that you've been so busy working. I recently made a marvelous shortbread that would be even better accompanied by butterscotch ice cream. Here are the recipes:

If he is a chocolate freak like some of my friends...I would make a nice big chocolate cobbler. Serve it with a big scoop of french vanilla ice cream and you will have happy guests! Good luck with your big decision!

I think they did invent a waterproof whiteboard for the shower, and I totally need one, too. I used to take a sharpie and plastic bag into the shower with me so that I didn't forget anything. ;-P

I hope you don't mind if I provide you two recipes, because I'm so torn as to which one is my favorite! My most raved about cake ever is my blackest forest cake (recipe here), which has layers black cocoa chocolate cake, dark chocolate ganache, dark cherry filling, and mascarpone whipped cream. But, for my own birthday recently, I went with something more summery: a lemon and raspberry-lime layer cake (recipe here), with raspberry-studded lemon cake, lemon and raspberry-lime curds, and raspberry-lime buttercream. I'm still hearing about that one even though my birthday was a month ago!

This one is fantastic! I made it before I started my blog so I don't have any good pictures of it. It's worth the trouble, trust me. Happy Birthday!http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Triple-Chocolate-Celebration-Cake-105184

Ooh! I haven't gotten around to posting this on my blog yet, but I made it for my dad's Father's Day dessert and it was very well-received. Panna Cotta with Strawberries and Balsamic Vinegar (link: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Panna-Cotta-with-Strawberries-and-Balsamic-Vinegar-106433 )

I used greek yogurt and it was wonderful, and I would suggest that if you decide to make these and plan to unmold them that you use a bit more gelatin than they suggest, especially if you don't plan to refrigerate overnight.

My boyfriend's birthday is coming up and he refuses to give me any ideas...I think I'll be looking over your comments here! Thanks :P

I'd recommend a strawberry and mascarpone cake (more like a dessert). It has layers of chewy meringue with coconut, then a mascarpone mix, then strawberries and repeat. The top is devine, another meringue disk, sprinkled with icing sugar which it then blow torched, like a creme brulee.

Always wins many compliments! Here is my most recent effort from a work bake-off competition!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=6490618&id=550225618

Below are links to two different recipes - compliments to the two Australian chefs Neil Perry and Lorraine Godsmark for the two recipes. I use Godsmark's for the ingredients and Perry's for the technique (with the exception of the blow torching which is from Godsmark's recipe).

It's actually not my recipe, so alas I cannot take credit/prizes for it (But I'm sure the creator would! lol). I've made it many, many times and each time I fall more and more in love with it. I think at one stage I made it almost every night for one week straight. The recipe in question is Bake Like A Ninja's easist dessert in the world 'Strawberries in Brown Sugar Balsamic Vinegar'. So simple, yet so delicious. http://bakelikeaninja.com/easiest-dessert-in-the-world/

Mmm, I love me a fruit crisp. When I found pluots at the market a few weeks ago, I assured the vendor that I would just top them with crumble and bake them for my husband to gobble them up; I was right.

My most raved about dessert was my birthday cake last year -- a 4 layer lemon chiffon cake with caramel and lemon cream fillings slathered with Swiss meringue and then torched before serving. It was pretty epic: http://littlebluehen.com/?p=744

I too have a summer birthday and have always hankered after the amazing sounding Scandinavian Cloudberry Cake, but as I've not been lucky enough to come across a cloudberry in England, it remains a tantalizing mystery yet to be discovered. Nevertheless berry cakes are one of the perks of a summer birthday and I recently concocted a raspberry and white chocolate cake with macadamia streusel topping for myself. (I think these are known as crumb cakes in the US.) And, even though it's summer, I like to eat it warm, accompanied by cold, cold crème fraîche.

The thing that gets the most comments from my friends when I make them are my Mexican spiced chocolate brownies (recipe here (at the end)). Everyone is expecting an innocent little chocolate bite, but what they get is a deeply chocolatey flavour with the warmth of chilli, cinnamon and nutmeg. Wonderful warm with vanilla ice cream. I have on occasion added in some fresh raspberries - I love their flavour with good chocolate. That particularly brownie recipe also features virtually no flour at all, so I'm sure would be pretty simple for you to convert to being gluten free.

Happy birthday to your husband! I have a birthday cake to make for a friend next week too, and am dithering about what to make - the brownies are out because I have a girl allergic to chocolate staying with me. Oh noes! We're still in the middle of a brilliant summer fruit season down in the far south west of England though, so I'm sure I'll find something! My parents have a prolific worcester berry (a cross between a blackcurrant and a gooseberry) bush in their garden, so I'm going to make a cheesecake. Debating whether to make something else as well though!

To make the zabaglione, you need to whisk the egg yolks, sugar and brandy in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water until thick, then remove from the heat. Keep whisking even after you remove the bowl from the heat. You can stop once it cools down, otherwise it will start to 'cook' and go clumpy.

In another bowl, whisk the mascarpone until it's soft and then fold in the cooled zabaglione mixture.

You will need a deep round (preferably glass, to see the pretty layers) bowl to serve it in. Arrange half the sponge finger biscuits over the base, then sprinkle half the coffee and half the chocolate over the biscuits. Spoon in up to half of the zabaglione/marscapone mixture and spread it evenly over the biscuit layer, then repeat until you fill the bowl. Sift cocoa over the final layer and sprinkle with the remaining grated chocolate.

For best results, refrigerate this at least 2 hours before serving.

If you prefer a creamier tiramisu you can fold some whipped cream thru the zabaglione.

One of the finest desserts I served a friend and myself this year was baked peaches sprinkled with oat biscuit crumbs (original recipe called for amaretti biscuits), spiced gold & kahlua - and served with mascarpone cream. Absolutely delicious and not overly rich or cumbersome. I am pretty sure it will work with another fruit that is in season for you now. Posted a little about it on http://treehousekitchen.net/2010/01/03/summer-winter-dinner/

This is hard. My most requested dessert are coconut cupcakes from Lisa Yockelson. These aren't ordinary. I've made them at least 20 times in past two years. We are so obsessed with them, a few are always sitting in freezer. I've put them on my blog twice (something I never do).

The link is:http://bit.ly/bNGWrC

And, for the chocolate lover, a salty, chocolate caramel cupcake. This is my husband's favorite and made for his birthday. http://bit.ly/brLPSr

The most popular dessert on my blog is caramel apple cheesecake pie, and for good reason. It's awesome in a lot of different ways, all contained in one pie. And I'm sure it would look beautiful made in mini-springforms or something else to make it "Tartlette" style :)

I must admit though that the cheater caramel sauce included in the recipe is not always reliable for me. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I'm going to replace it with one that always works soon. But I'm sure that won't stop you since you make lovely things with caramel all the time!

Happy Birthday to Bill! I always bake Barry something chocolate. Although these days his second favourite thing to request is a toffee nut tart (Engadinger Nusstorte). I can't wait to see what you end up making.

These crumbles truly do evoke a feeling of comfort. I can imagine curling up on the couch, with a bowl of this warming my hands. I like the pair of cherries in the first photo - they look like a little heart.

As for Bill's birthday, I have a couple of ideas to add.

Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars with Gingersnap Crust (would be really nice with cherries in place of rhubarb)http://cookincanuck.blogspot.com/2010/04/rhubarb-cheesecake-bars-with-gingersnap.html

I love to bake, and by far the overwhelming favorite has been St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake posted by Deb @ Smitten Kitchen (gotta love her!)

http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/03/st-louis-gooey-butter-cake/

Topped with fresh raspberries or blackberries.....SOOOO delicious! I had never heard of such a thing before, but everyone I have served it to (including my children) have said it's the best cake they ever had!

Thanks Helene, for the giveaway and such an inspiring and beautiful site!

Hi,A very popular cake in my family is a Lemon cake from the Australian Women's Weekly Cookbook.It has yoghurt which makes it nice and moist, and you use the zest in a delicious syrup poured over the hot cake, which takes it from afternoon tea to special dessert.The cookbook's at my folks' place, but I could always post more details...Have fun deciding!

Hi! One of my favorite crowd pleasers is vanilla cupcakes filled with a spoonful of Michele Anna Jordan's raspberry curd, topped with a generous dollop of lemon buttercream frosting, with a sprinkling of coarse sugar on top!

Oh gosh, Helene, are you sure you are ready for all these suggestions? Do you want to make a dessert or a birthday cake? I'm asking, because in my family, we have both....For the birthday cake, in Norway, we traditionally make a "Bløtkake", a sponge (biscuit) base with whipped cream and berries (the Norwegians prefer Norwegian strawberries), then topped with first a layer of whipped cream, then cover the whole cake with rolled marzipan.For dessert, I would make Nigella Lawsons Quivering with Passion Fruit Jelly:For 2 persons you need:Pulp and seeds from 5 passion fruits, about 250 ml175 ml white wine50g sugar2 sheets gelatineplus pulp and seeds from 2 passion fruits2 tablespoons icing sugar1 tablespoon white wine80 ml cream

Bring the wine and seeds and pulp of the passion fruit to a boil in a saucepan, then take off the heat and stir in the sugar. Pour through a sieve into a glass measuring cup to strain, discarding the seeds and pulp.

Soak the gelatin in cold water until soft, then wring it out and whisk into the strained liquid. Pour the mixture two glasses (I usually use smaller glasses and make about 4 out of this recipe) and put in the fridge to set. For the cream, put all ingredients into a bowl and whisk until fluffy. Dollop onto each jelly.

Hi!I have a decadent dessert idea for your hubby...it's a recipe my husband's nephew served at his wedding instead of the traditional wedding cake! It's a warm walnut sundae cake served with vanilla ice cream and a luscious maple creme sauce drizzled over the top. Sprinkled with chopped walnuts, I get requests for this recipe quite often...

Hello,I would like to suggest a pie. It isn't exactly in the "birthday cake" category but it is buttery and rich and I think it is a perfect birthday treat. This is a link to my recipe http://www.foodista.com/recipe/22RNG52B/macadamia-or-any-other-nut-pieI submitted it for a contest that the Foodista website was having for a cook book. You can substitute any nut or make any crust that you like. I hope you will try this even though it may not be for your hubby's birthday!Best of luck,Tania

my starter went out on my fridge (the tech guy thought it was something else-therefore too late to save everything). thus, frantically making everything i can to save the provisions! i have some fresh-frozen cherries. think i am going to have whip this up for tonight. thanks for the inspiration!

My most raved dessert was the 40 layer hazelnut cream crepe cake covered with chocolate ganache - that Martha Stewart made on her show - here is the link for the recipe - it was labor intensive but incredible: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/darkest-chocolate-crepe-cake

I just can't resist to join. I have two ideas, the first one is my own creation, Black Forest panna cotta: first layer is made of biscuits and chocolate, the second one is panna cotta layer and the topping is made of cherry juice jelly and some more cherries for topping, you can see it here: http://jakbulkazmaslem.blogspot.com/2010/03/na-przekor-i-do-gory-dnem.html

My second idea is this tart: http://jakbulkazmaslem.blogspot.com/2010/02/posturodzinowo.html I made it for my own birthday, but actually I took the recipe from lottei&doof, so I am not sure if that counts.

This is our favorite! It's so,so simple, but SO delicious! Every time I serve it (over vanilla ice cream), people LOVE it! It's from Barefoot Contessa's Family Style book.http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/stewed-fresh-berries-recipe/index.htmlYummy, yum, yum! (Great reheated next day, too!)

Simple but absolutely yummy - chocolate crepes (room temp)folded in half and then in half again, slice some fresh fruit (in December, pears are amazing) and then drizzle on some warm caramel sauce. This has been a huge hit in my family for years!

Chocolate Truffle Tarte! I make a chocolate pecan crust (ground pecans, flour, sugar, cocoa, & butter) and fill it with a dark chocolate truffle filling. I top the tart with lots of fresh raspberries and white chocolate curls.

the best dessert I have ever made and tasted comes from your website. It's the pistachio and strawberry mousse mille feuilles. I didn't get the mille feuilles as well as yours but the marscapone cream were amazing. Most of the desserts I make were good, but that was unforgettably good. Thanks for your generosity in sharing all your carefully written recipes with us.

The crust is buttery and salty, topped with a rich chocolate and stout beer filling and then a homemade marshmallow topping. Just before serving, toast the marshmallow with a creme brulee torch. It's an indulgent and rich version of the campfire classic.

Everyone loves this one and I get requests for it all the time! I have not made it this summer yet, other wise I would use fresh raspberries rather than preserves. I have been meaning to blog this recipe a while, but for now, here is a simple tasty kitchen recipe without even a photo.

This is really easy to make gluten free as well, especially since I am fairly certain that you already have a gluten-free puff pastry recipe!

Yum! Even if you dont choose this for B's birthday, I think you will really like it, and it is easily customizable with any fruit that you want! Enjoy, and Happy Birthday to B! July is a great month! http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/breads/dark-chocolate-and-raspberry-croissants/

Helene, I have a great idea...it is called a Zebra cake, it is a family favorite and truly melts in your mouth! The real plus is that it is sooooo easy to make, looks extravagant and is very unique. I use the receipe on the box with one minor adjustment, I put the cake once it is made in the frig for two hours then put it in the freezer covered with wax paper for at least 4 hours and I don't let it thaw before serving! http://www.nabiscoworld.com/recipes/recipe.aspx?recipe_id=53331

I think since it's summer over there, something cool and refreshing might be the answer, without having to start up the oven. I've always made konnyaku jellies (Japanese jellies) with all sorts of fruit fillings. I like to use dried kiwi seeds to give it a bit of texture as well. Here is a link and picture of the jellies I'm speaking about: http://food-4tots.com/2010/07/08/konnyaku-jelly/

Bring milk to a simmer with the mint leaves; muddle the leaves,steep overnight in the fridge; strain out leaves.

Next day, combine eggs and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fittedwith paddle attachment. Beat at medium-high speed until very thick and paleyellow, 3 to 5 minutes. Return milk to a simmer.

Add half of the warm milk to egg mixture; whisk until blended. Return newmixture to saucepan with remaining cream. Cook over low heat, stirringconstantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a woodenspoon.

Have ready an ice-water bath. Remove saucepan from heat; immediately stirin heavy cream. Pass mixture through a sieve set over a medium bowl. Placebowl in ice-water bath; chill. Stir in chocolate chips.

How about some passion for B on his birthday? My favourite sweet treat is a passionfruit marshmallow slice - it has a pastry/biscuit base with a topping made with passionfruit pulp, white marshmallows, lightly whipped cream and some lemon juice to provide some tartness and is truely orgasmic!

I make a dessert called Hot Fudge Spoon Cake, which is both humble and lazy, but my husband can't live without it. You spread chocolate cake batter into a greased crock-pot, pour a mixture of sugar, cocoa, and boiling water on top, and then plug it in and forget about it for two hours. The cake rises to the top, the sauce sinks to the bottom, and you serve it with scoops of vanilla ice cream.

i am always so amazed and inspired by what YOU make, so i don't know how anything i make will inspire you lol. but here's a cake i always make that people LOVE: http://auntyyochana.blogspot.com/2007/03/japanese-strawberry-shortcake.html

it's a japanese strawberry shortcake, so instead of a biscuit, the dessert uses a sponge cake. also, instead of kirsch, i use triple sec (so i think any alcohol will do). this cake is SO popular in japan because it's so light from the sponge cake and whipped cream but you still get the sweetness from the strawberries! but whichever recipe you go with, good luck and happy birthday to your husband!

I'm pretty sure I married my husband because he made this incredible chocolate mousse in a spring form pan, with a chocolate crust and whipped cream on top with chocolate curls and fresh raspberries atop.... i've never made it for anyone that didn't loooooovvvveee it.

And it's not really a pie... since it's huge and in a spring form, but here you go! (and if i don't win, please make it some time anyway, because it's just WONDERFUL!!! You're going to have a crush on me when you do, i just know it!)

Chocolate Mousse Pie.

Crust

3 cups chocolate wafer crumbs

½ cup melted butter

Filling

12 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate

2 eggs

4 egg yolks

2 cups cream

6 T. pd. sugar

4 egg whites at room temp.

Topping

1 pint whipping cream

1 t. vanilla

½ cup powdered sugar

Fresh fruit if desiredextra chocolate bar for making chocolate curls on top of dessertCrust

combine crumbs and butter, line bottom and sides of 9"spring form pan. and refrigerate for 30 mins

Top with one pint of whipped cream, sweetened with 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1 t. vanilla. add fresh fruit to garnish if desired. Take chocolate bar and then *peel* it with your potato peeler to make choc. curls for the top of your dessert.

There are 2 things on my blog that my hubby really loves and everybody who has tried it before definately raves about it.

1. Longan tofu, which is a soy milk based jelly set with agar powder, and flavoured with canned longans,but you can definately switch the fruit. Very cooling to eat on a hot summer's day.http://wendyinkk.blogspot.com/2009/06/longan-tofu.html

2. Strawberry Mirror Cake, a Daring Baker's thing way back during the early times, I'm sure you must have tried it too.http://wendyinkk.blogspot.com/2008/02/strawberry-mirror-cake.html

Beautiful pictures.I find a tiramisu the best gift for any birthday. I like the original recipe but I once tried it with strawberry and it was so delicious.This is the link to the original recipe.http://fragoleefarfalle.wordpress.com/2010/02/06/my-favorite-tiramisu-2/

I don't think I have just one special dessert - rocky road cheesecake, cream brulee, creme caramel, baked banana cheesecake but probably the one I make the most is a pavlova! I look forward to seeing what you decide.

I always get rave reviews for Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake, which is originally from the back of a Nordicware bundt cake pan. http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/desserts/chocolate-sour-cream-bundt-cake/

Wishing B. a wonderful birthday and many more to come... I was wondering if you could tell me more about the poaching and freezing cherries; And maybe your recipe for jams/preserves too ... Have bags of cherries and I cant seem to eat hem fast enough :(

Last year for my birthday I made a Guinness Chocolate Cheesecake with Bailey's Whipped Cream (yes, I made my own birthday cake). it got rave reviews, and I think you might actually get some lovely pictures out of it. Here's a link to the post I did on it.

I've been dreaming about all the gorgeous cherry recipes around my favorite blogs and have been saving them for later on this year, when cherries are available. I'll be giving the crumble a try, Helen! Gorgeous!

Helene, a significant other's Bday calls for something rich and decadent, something you may not want to eat or make for just a dinner dessert. What I envision is a warm individual chocolate cake, topped with a chocolate mousse, fresh berries, a warm vanilla sauce dripping over the whole thing and a little chantilly on the side. I like the mix of warm components and cold components together. Anyhow.....good luck picking the perfect dessert, I am sure whatever it is, it will be fabulous, can't wait to see the pictures.

Helene, thank you for your blog-I love it! We too live in a pretty warm part of the country--it's 7:27am and 101 degrees as I write--and our latest favorite hot-weather dessert is coeur a la creme, slightly adapted from Anne Willan's recipe-- 2 cups homemade creme fraiche lightened with Italian meringue, based on 2 egg whites and 3oz sugar, with fresh berries. I'm a little nervous about raw eggs in this weather, hence the change. Best wishes for the special day!

One of my family's favorites is the chocolate banana cake. It's basically layers of chocolate sponge cake and light chocolate mousse stuffed with banana slices and the whole cake is covered with chocolate ganache. It truly is one of a kind! We used to get it from a bakery back when we lived in Asia but we have yet to see it in bakeries in the U.S. I have tried to replicate it but I haven't got it quite right yet. However, I'm sure you could create a wonderful version of it for your husbands birthday! Here's a link to a picture of the cake in case you didn't understand my description :P.http://www.secretrecipe.com.ph/cakes/chocolate_banana.jpg

Chocolate Genoise Raspberry Bavarian Creme Torte. I made it for a dinner party and my guests thought I bought it at a bakery. It's a bit labor intensive, but seriously one of the best cakes I've ever made. I've always thought swapping orange for the raspberry would be a really yummy variation. I'll send the recipe if selected :-)

This is the simplest of recipes. It won't sound all that interesting, I know. It's strictly a summer thing and works brilliantly with a complimentary dessert partner (like a lemon curd tart, or a simple panna cotta) or as a palate cleanser or even as a sort of slushy apertif when dressed with a little limoncello or hendricks gin or just clean vodka and served in a little dessert dish with a spoon. There is some sort of beautiful herbal alchemy going on that is so refreshing and enchanting.

I found it first in Jerry Traunfeld's The Herbfarm Cookbook. That recipe is published here:

I make this quite often in the summer when I find lemon verbena in the farmers market. It's so simple -- you can make it in minutes. And my friends are always delighted.

Last year I made coconut avocado ice cream. I know it sounds weird since it has avocado, but its quite delicious. I have had a lot of compliments on the dessert. But I ususally let people eat it before I tell them what it is. Ha!http://thehorttshearawho.blogspot.com/2009/09/coconut-avocado-ice-cream.html

By the way, I love the utensils you use in your shots. Where did you find the while spoon? And it the plastic spoon a baby spoon?

My favorite cake to make in the summer is Strawberries and Cream Sponge Cake Roll. I made it about a month ago for my husbands birthday. It is so light and creamy. Mmm mmm mmm. I wish I had a piece now to eat now for breakfast. Enjoy!

Hands down my favorite cake of all time---Nathan's Lemon Cake by Cooking Light. The combination of the moist lemony cake with the lemon frosting is AWESOME. I'm trying to get my nerve up to try macarons!!

Here is the recipe:http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1734321

Chef John Fleer's Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Strawberry-Champagne Soup was absolutely delicious! I would suggest making that for your hubby's birthday. http://www.bunkycooks.com/2010/07/interview-with-chef-john-fleer-canyon-kitchen-in-cashiers-north-carolina/

Have fun choosing the winner! I am sure there will be some great recipes.

Well, with the love of all things mini, I adore making cake pops! My friends and family loves them too, and you can decorate them however you want. They're basically miniature cakes on a stick! Here's just one example, but decorations can obviously be however you want it to be:

http://www.bakerella.com/hope-these-put-a-smile-on-your-face/

You can also make a cupcake pop, which is the same idea, but in the shape of a cupcake: http://www.bakerella.com/make-your-cupcakes-pop/

Or, for a more elegant look, you can opt out of the lollipop sticks and just make cake balls: http://www.bakerella.com/red-velvet-cake-balls/

I'm crazy for dessert making, so I get a lot of raves because I put a lot of practice in ;) but the one that got the best response, out of all of them, is my brother's recipe: beer pie. Its a chocolate refrigerator pie in a graham cracker crust-marshmallows and chocolate chips go in the blender. heavy cream and stout or porter are heated separately and poured in the blender. Everything is whirled together until homogeneous, then add bourbon to taste and blend again before filling the crust and refrigerating for at least 4 hours.

I make a blackberry lemon triffle that is comprised of fresh blackberries, sour cream pound cake and lemon curd mousse. Its light, sweet, lemony and oh so good when its hot. I'd love to share my recipe with you, even if I don't win! Leave me a message on www.fabfisherfamily.blogspot.com if you're interested!

The best dessert I've made lately was from Sprinkle Bakes - no-bake white chocolate cheesecake. I made mine into individual servings in nice glasses (no individual springforms), didn't color any of it with the red food coloring, and topped it with a barely-cooked fruit topping. Blueberries, raspberries - whatever you've got. Cherries would be excellent! My 6-yr-old son doesn't like "cheesecake", though, so we had to call them "parfaits". He gobbled it down!!

I wanted to say thank you so much for the wonderful recipes you keep sharing on your website. I made my first ever macarons using your recipe, and they were a hit! One of my favourite dessert recipes is Figs with Mascarpone and dark chocolate: http://www.cuisine.co.nz/index.cfm?pageId=33234 Served chilled, these are perfect for a midsummer night's dessert!

This is the best dessert I've made this year - I rustled up 6 verrines and ate them all....by myself! Something about the amazing bouquet of lime, with crispy almonds, cool whipped cream, blackerry mush and jelly that makes this a taste of heaven!Happy birthday to Bill. http://www.kitchenbutterfly.com/2010/05/30/blackberry-cheesecake-jelly-verrines/

It's currently a tie in my most requested and lauded recipes, and both are easily found on epicurious.com (I can't link them since I'm at work, shhh.)

The first is lemon-swirl cheesecake, a classic creamy cheesecake with tons of lemon curd swirls in it, and served with sugared strawberries. I make it for a friend of mine who has severe food allergies (the only fruit he can have are citruses and strawberries.) My best friend, who is a huge foodie and my cooking idol, after tasting it told me, "You make a damn good cheesecake."

The second is a vanilla-bean cardamom pound cake. The original recipe was tweaked to make the cake a bit moister, but I've have had a number of requests for this cake after bringing it to a potluck. I serve it with whipped cream (with brandy, of course) and that became a huge deal after other grad students I work with learned that whipped cream doesn't actually come out of a can!

rosemary-cream sconeswith:strawberry-basil-mascarpone (the strawberry/basil was cribbed from chocolate & zucchini, but the addition of mascarpone was my own touch)and:strawberries that had been macerating in sugar & balsamic vinegar.

The dessert that everybody raves about is a light passion fruit mousse, with caramel, orange and passion fruit sauce. My recipe is in Spanish, but I can gladly translate it for you.the link is:http://mundodedulcinea.blogspot.com/2009/10/mousse-de-maracuya.htmlregardsDulcinea

I once made a batch of Beetroot and Goat Cheese macarons that were beautiful and delicious which my friends loved, he may like those?

But the dessert my family loved the most was definitely sticky date and dried apricot pudding with walnut crumble, white chocolate ice cream, creme fraiche and honey caramel. And it was gluten free!! Amazing.

One of my husband's favorite desserts that I've made is a chocolate-espresso lava cake with fresh espresso whip cream. It has since turned out to be a favorite of our entire family and is often requested :) It's a moist and rich chocolate cake with a gooey melted chocolate center intensified by the espresso powder and topped with cool espresso whipped cream - dreamy! I haven't blogged about this and it's a bit long to paste within the comment, so please contact me if you're interested: awmclafferty@comcast.net

my all-time most popular dessert is a nearly flourless chocolate cake. I find flourless chocolate cakes too rich, but the bit of flour in this one makes it less dense, but still completely decadent. Mine isn't as beautiful as your photos, but I'd love to see how you would do it! The recipe is on my blog here: http://onecaketwocake.com/2009/10/15/a-grown-up-dinner-party/

Perhaps you could try a flan cake? (Flan is a traditional Mexican dessert.) Last time I made this, I served it w/a fruit salad of strawberries and mangoes and a bit of lime juice.

For the flan:

Melt ½ cup of sugar w/1tsp of cinnamon. Pour into a glass pan (~2 quart capacity) and swirl to coat bottom. Set aside.

Beat 6 eggs, one at a time, into 8oz of room temp cream cheese. Add 12oz of evaporated milk, 14oz of sweetened condensed milk, and 1tsp of vanilla (or coconut/almond/etc.) extract. Strain mixture through a sieve and into the glass pan w/the caramelized sugar/cinnamon.

For the cake: Sift together a cup of flour, 1/4 cup of sugar, 1tsp baking powder, 1/4tsp of salt. Add 3 egg yolks, 5 Tbsp of oil, and 1 Tbsp of vanilla. In a separate bowl, beat three egg whites w/1/4tsp of cream of tartar until foamy. Add ¼ cup of sugar gradually and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold this mixture into the egg white mixture and carefully float it on top of the flan mixture.Place the flan dish in a larger dish and put enough hot water in the larger dish so that it comes halfway up the side of the flan dish. Bake at 325F for ~1.25 hours. Let cool in the fridge overnight (IMPORTANT!!) To serve, invert the flan cake and scrape any remaining caramel sauce over it.

What about a croquembouche? Choux puffs (original or flavoured), toffee, a variety of creme patissiere (choose Bill's favourite flavour(s)), and a decoration of some sort. It's festive, looks good, tastes good, and the individual components are easy to make. Though putting them together is pain-staking, I think your husband will appreciate your efforts in making it.

facades.of.emotions: could have worked except it's not the right time for us with 115F and 100% humidity.I'm steering away from caramel.

Thanks all for your suggestions!

As a ("retired") pastry chef I don't have a problem with the degree of difficulty but as a working woman I have to keep the timing on the short side and given the heat and humidity this week (over 100F and 100%) - I am afraid caramel work has to be vetoed or I will end up gluing my dogs and everything around in a great caramel meltdown :)

Thanks to everyone for taking the time - if there is a recipe you really want me to read, email it to me (see about page for email address) - I promise to read it!

Happy birthday to Bill!Just made a wonderful cake, not posted yet: an italian almons chocolate torte (from Alice Medrich, recently posted by Y), topped with a thin layer of caramel bittersweet chocolate mousse, a layer of yogurt white chocolate pana cotta with vanilla and plum pits roasted plums and another thin layer of caramel chocolate mousse. Hope you will find the best dessert for Bill.

I always start posts in my head in the shower and then forget! I have to stop myself once I start thinking of one or I know it will be gone forever.

All of your recipes tempt me so, but my fiance is completely obsessed with plums and cherries, so we constantly have them in the house. I am definitely intrigued by the goat cheese ice cream too - how long does it usually keep?

For the birthday treat, I have been making devil's food cake from bon appetit with a layer of chocolate pudding on top for the past five or six birthdays and it's always a hit.

But you make the most delicious cake, pies, tarts, and cookies, so my suggestion is something a little different: gulab jamen. I don't have a recipe up myself, but they are balls of dough that you fry and then soak in simple syrup. They are a-m-a-z-i-n-g, but I am not sure if you can make them gluten free.

I'm not sure if you are making something gluten-free for this occasion, but rasmalai is my favorite Indian dessert, and I think that can be made gluten free.

Goat cheese ice cream? Where has it been all my life?! As for the dessert, this time of year I would probably make a simple cherry pie with flaky crust and vanilla bean ice cream. I might even serve it with stracciatella and coffee from the local gelatria.

How about a moist carrot cake with pecans and raisins and rich cream cheese frosting? Karina Allrich (gluten-free goddess blog) has a delicious recipe that has all that plus coconut. I hope Bill has a great birthday!

I always ask my sweet husband what he wants baked for his birthday. And it is always the same answer: my whole wheat fruit cake, made with dried fruit. So I bake a fruitcake every June, as strange as it seems to me! And I bake it again in December for Christmas. Thanks for the lovely photos.

Being that it is both cherry and plum season and our plum tree is laden with luscious fruit, I decided to make this last night. The combination of the goat cheese ice cream with the crumble is divine. Both are extremely easy to make and so delicious. The ice cream is going to be a new favorite of mine. Everyone loved the dessert. Thank you.